Jaguar Vs Leopard - Top 12 Differences and Comparisons

Jaguar vs leopard –
Top 12 di!erences and

comparisons
Posted by Editorial Team | Interests,
Wildlife | 4 !
Leopards and jaguars, legends of the

animal kingdom that are very di!cult
to tell apart.
They are wild cat members of the

Panthera genus, along with lion and
tiger. These are the only animals
capable of making a roar and are the
most fearsome predators in the wild.
It’s very di!cult to tell them apart

because they are never seen in the
same place – except in zoos and that
doesn’t count. So you need to look at
many subtle di"erences.
Here are the top 12 di!erences that

will help you understand jaguar vs
leopard.
1. Where do they live?

The easiest way to tell the di"erence is
to think about where you are.
Leopards are native to Africa and

parts of the Middle East and Asia. The
vast majority of this population is found
in East and Southern Africa.
Wild jaguars can only be found in

South and Central America, with most
of the population residing in the
Amazon.
Of course, you could see both in a zoo.

But who wants to see captive animals
when they can be experienced in the
wild!
2. Spots
At #rst glance it’s almost impossible to
tell the di"erence between leopard and
jaguar spots. Both have a beautiful
rosette pattern that’s quite distinct
from a cheetah’s solid black spots.
Leopard rosettes are small and tightly

packed.
Jaguar rosettes are larger and inside

these rosettes there is a central black
spot.
3. Size
Jaguar are larger although this isn’t
immediately distinguishable. They
weigh similar to humans, with males
ranging from 60-100 kg (132 – 220 lb),
yet sometimes getting as big as 150 kg
(330 lb).
Both species are sexually dimorphic,

which means that the females are
smaller and lighter. For jaguars this
di"erence is only 10%. However, female
leopards can be up to 30% lighter than
the males.
Male leopards are almost the same

size as male jaguars, from 40-90 kg
(88-198 lb). The females are much
smaller, sometimes just 28 kg (61 lb).
Learn more
Leopard and jaguar are virtually the

same height, with the average South
American cat just a couple of
centimetres taller than an African
leopard at the shoulder.
4. Body shape
Body shape is the easiest trick when
comparing jaguar vs leopard.
Jaguars are stocky animals, with

broad shoulder muscles and a robust
build. They have short and compact
bodies.
Leopards have longer, more slender

bodies. So despite weighing less,
leopards are longer than their South
American cousins.
5. Tail
If body shape isn’t enough to tell them
apart then look at the tail. Jaguars
have short tails to match their stocky
bodies. Leopards have long feline
tails to match their longer, slimmer
bodies.
6. Head shape
Leopards are good looking. They have
small angular heads with sharp
cheekbones and clearly de#ned lines.
Learn more
In comparison, jaguar have fat

rounded faces. Their heads are much
larger and their ears aren’t as
prominent.
7. Natural habitat
Both these cats are adaptive hunters
that can survive in many di"erent
habitats. They are most commonly
associated with trees. Popular
perception is that jaguars live in the
rainforest and leopards live in trees on
the African savannah.
This may re$ect the 21st century but

back in history these cats had far
larger ranges. Jaguars used to roam
California, the Grand Canyon and
Texas. Unfortunately they were hunted
to extinction in North America.
Leopards used to live in Hong Kong

and Japan. They’ve found leopard
fossils all over Europe. In Russia,
leopards inhabit snowy forests and
brave temperatures of 25 below.
Africa’s leopards are most abundant in

areas of savannah, where there is a
mix of grasslands and trees. Jaguars
now #nd sanctuary in deeper
rainforest as they have lost their
habitat elsewhere.
8. Jaguar and leopard are

solitary animals
Both species display similar behaviour.

They are expert predators who live a
solitary existence and #ercely defend
their territory.
If you see more than one then it is

either a mother with cub, a mating
pair, or you are in a zoo.
9. Leopards are faster,

jaguar are stronger
African leopards can reach a top
speed of 56-60 km/h (35-37 mph).
Using stealth they creep up on their
prey before accelerating to top speed in
just a few strides. Here is the complete
story on how fast is a leopard.
Jaguars are only a little slower and can

comfortably reach 50 km/h, even
though a dense rainforest doesn’t
provide space for them to do this.
Jaguar Attacks Cai…
Both these species have some of the

strongest jaws in the animal
kingdom. Jaguars are a little stronger
and have a bite so powerful it can
pierce the shells of tortoise and other
armoured prey.
These spotted hunters typically kill their

prey through su!ocation, delivered by
a strong bite to the throat or neck.
Jaguar are unique in that their teeth are
strong enough to pierce the skull of
their prey.
10. What about black

panthers?
Black panthers can be leopards or

jaguars! How confusing is that?
The black fur is caused by something

known as melanism, a natural
pigmentation that causes the fur to
turn black. It is similar to what causes
some lions to have white fur, but is
di"erent to albinism (albinos) as this is
an absence of colour.
Look closely at any black panther and

the rosette patterns are still visible,
they’re just obscured by the new black
pigmentation. So to compare jaguar vs
leopard you have to look at body shape
and tail instead.
Some researchers have argued that the

black colour is a sign of natural
selection. Black fur provides better
camou$age when hunting in very low
light so it is advantageous. However,
this is yet to be proven.
Rosette patterned leopards and jaguars

can’t give birth to a black panther. If
one of the parents has the black
melanism it may be passed onto the
o"spring.
11. Leopard vs jaguar at

climbing and swimming
Leopards can swim when they need

to, such as to reach an island or cross a
river. Jaguars are superb swimmers
and go diving for food, such as caimans
and large #sh.
A slender #gure and longer tail makes

the leopard more agile. It is a better
climber and more adept when running
at speed through the trees.
12. Both jaguar and leopard

are endangered
The current outlook doesn’t look good
for either of these magni#cent species.
Leopards are vulnerable on the IUCN
red list while jaguar are near
threatened. Their populations have
dropped signi#cantly over the last
century.
The more people that learn about

leopard vs jaguar the more who are
aware of the challenges facing these
animals in the wild: habitat loss,
habitat fragmentation, hunting,
poaching.
Let’s hope that the 21st century brings

a change and these incredible cats see
their range and population increase.
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Jaguar vs leopard –

Top 12 di!erences and

Leopards and jaguars, legends of the

They are wild cat members of the

It’s very di!cult to tell them apart

Here are the top 12 di!erences that

1. Where do they live?

Leopards are native to Africa and

Wild jaguars can only be found in

Of course, you could see both in a zoo.

Leopard rosettes are small and tightly

Jaguar rosettes are larger and inside

Both species are sexually dimorphic,

Male leopards are almost the same

Leopard and jaguar are virtually the

Jaguars are stocky animals, with

Leopards have longer, more slender

In comparison, jaguar have fat

This may re$ect the 21st century but

Leopards used to live in Hong Kong

Africa’s leopards are most abundant in

8. Jaguar and leopard are

Both species display similar behaviour.

If you see more than one then it is

9. Leopards are faster,

Jaguars are only a little slower and can

Jaguar Attacks Cai…

Both these species have some of the

These spotted hunters typically kill their

10. What about black

Black panthers can be leopards or

The black fur is caused by something

Look closely at any black panther and

Some researchers have argued that the

Rosette patterned leopards and jaguars

11. Leopard vs jaguar at

Leopards can swim when they need

A slender #gure and longer tail makes

12. Both jaguar and leopard

The more people that learn about

Let’s hope that the 21st century brings

" # $ % & '

Zimbabwe safari – What sound does a

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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